Protective coating and method of producing same



United States Pat n1.- "ice PRODUCING SAME Charles G. Munger, San Gabriel, Daniel H. Gelfer, Gar- Patented Aug. 29, 1961 ing properties of resistance to weathering and corrosion, is completely adherent, and shows no flaking tendency. The new finish is moreover entirely compatible with and serves to supplement the silicate type first coat, providing dena, and Charles Abba, South Gate, Calif.,nssignors 5 f i igfiff z gfgzg f and bred shades to Amercoat (Zgggratjon, South Gate, 'Calif., a corpo- 6 ex n rafimffimommm We have discovered a novel inorganic finish especially No Drawing Filed July 22 57 s 73,544 desirable for application to the outer surface of a pro- 7 Claims. (Cl. 117-70) tective coating of the silicate type which comprises an 10 aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate and an aqueous This invention relates to protective coatings of the paste pigmented component adapted to be blended theresilicate type, and particularly to a novel composition and with, said paste including an inor anic pigment insoumethod for the production of a white or colored overcoat in the said 3. il er an a sm proor finish upon the outer surface of silicate type protective portion of a m e tal salt capable of reacting with said coatings. alkalimetal silicate to yield a hard insoluble" coating Protective coatings comprising the reaction products of when the solution and the paste are admixed and applied alkalig etal silicates with finel divided Hthlsiiritjxk to the original silicate coating surface. The coating is tl fies of such'fiiielydiiiided nietals" have Been w dely also adherent to and desirable for coating galvanized suri :Fopted tor the protection of exposed surfaces of iron faces, zinc surfaces or zinc metallized surfaces.

I and steel, where they have proved especiallywaluahle In aWo'rFaFc Jwith the present invention, moreover,\

inimparting resistance to weathering and corrosion. One the mjggtgre of the aqueous solut on 'of'alliali 'm t'alisilitype of silicate protective coating is marketed under the cate and the aqueous paste pigmented component may be M brand name D'metcote. Coatings of this general charapplied to the original silicate type coating as a finish acter are also descrihed in US. Patents 2,462,763, and where the said original coating has been cured with a 2,440,969. They may be formed, for example, from suitable 251mg as well as to a previously uncured mixtures of a finely divided metal such as lead or coating.

, aluminum and an aqueous solution of an alkali metal Furthermore, it is within the contemplation of this insmh as for example, sodium silicate. These mix.- vention to apply a suitable curi --y "this are applied by conventional methods, and after silicate finish coatin in order to further harden a napplication, are convertedto a hard, water-insolfih'l'eTcofiiso w1c cunng agent may be of the ditiorhibiabaking'tr'atment'ht te'nfiefa'tu r'sfroig abgut same type as that used for curing the original coating. ZGU'T. to about 500 F. However, conversion to ahard, Such curing solutions are preferably solutions of a salt 'gl wat'e'r lnshlfihleehr'i"dition is preferably carried out by capable ,of, yielding au'acid radiqalwwhiehhwill reactfjtfiifl:

l treatment with a went, as disclosed in the finish coating to harden andinsolubilizethe same.

la co-pending application Sena No. 376,260, filed August Thus, the invention contemplates both cured and un- 24, 1953, which has been abandoned. Such curing cured coatings, the application thereof to metal surfaces, agents may include aqueous or nonaqueous solutions of and metal structures having on the surface thereof a hard salts capable of yielding an rad l in the presence insoluble protective coating resulting from the application of the silicate coating film and which will react with the thereto and the drying thereon of superimposed layers film to produce a hard insoluble coating. 0 of cured an/or uncured original and finish coatings.

Silicate coatings of the type described in the preceding The ngly finish grpyercoat of this inventionis entirely paragraph have heretofore been available only in forms inorganic in composition. It canaifis no organic'binde'rs in which the resulting films provided largely fiat tones 6r vehicles which may be subject to weather deterioraof a somewhat monotonous character. For this reason tion, to action of a It exhibits resistance to their use has been confined generally to utilitarian pur- Weathering, g idity, and salt air whichisunequaled poses in which attractive appearance has not been an imby any organic type coating. In addition to providing portant consideration. Nevertheless, a demand has exfor the first time enhanced decorative efieets, it tonne a isted for an overcoat or finish suitable for application to y Smooth Surface of intense pigmentation, which has a first coat of the finely divided metal pigmented alkali 10w (hit and wet P P and which will not Chalk metal silicate type, a wou lmpar t e lred alter on prolonged exposure to sunlight, heat, and atmosey o s a es thereto, which would be compatible Pherie conditionswith the silicate first coatin s an t e curing agents The 2291 inorganic fi h ovemoat of the Present used in conjunction therewith, and which would enhance invention comprises-two components: a reactive the present drab appearance of such first coats. The liquid component cemptlslhg all a tleOuS Solution of all present invention is directed to overcoming this problem l l mm and 3 D m of fiat and drab tones and v I vercoatin ponent in the form of an aqueous paste capable of refinish coating of improved appearance in white or other acting with the first compOttent to Produce the desired 0 t ter surfac e finish coating. These two components are prepared sepasaid metal pigmented alkali metal silicate base coating, rately and then mixed in proper proportions preferably The unique characteristics of silicate type primi within several hours prior to the time of application. In coatings preclude the successful application thereto of certain instances, however, the two components y be conventional formulations of exterior paints. These charformulated in admixture in Presence of all necessary acteristics result, for example, in a tendency of such g paints to spread unevenly, to exhibit diminishedadher- In the Preparation of t reactive liqui component ence, and to flake off leaving unsightly patches. Exthere is dissolved in r an alkali metal silicate such tensive investigation has indicated that an overcoat or as odium s1 tassium sllicate lithium silicate or I finish having special characteristics is required for suca mixture "of such silicates. eferably sodium silicate IS I 'cessful application on silicate type coatings. us 0 his purposefbecause of its low cost and ready 3 In accordance with the present invention, we have discommercial availability. The sodium silicate is advancovered a novel finish or overcoat for application on tageously of the low alkaline type, in which the ratio of srhcatetype protective coatings which possesses outstand Na o to SiO, may range from about 1:1.6 to abont- I e J 3 7., J r n I I f 1:3.75, but it has been found that best results are obtainable with sodium silicates in which the ratio of Na to SiO, lies between about 1:3 and 13.75. Low alkaline silicates of this type are preferable since they keep at a minimum any tendency toward discoloration arising from formation of sodium carbonate on the surface.

The solution of the alkali metal silicate in water, such as, for example, sodium silicate, has a concentration corresponding to a specific gravity lying in the range of about 1.3 to 1.4, i.e., containing about 30% to 40% alkali metal silicate.

The pigmented blending component is prepared in the an .89 53%? co p sw sr qammnr white or colored inorganic pigments, a reinforcing pigment or filler of inorganic character, and a metal salt of a mineral acid or a lower fatty acid. In the preparation of typical pigmented blending components the ranges of the respective ingredients employed will be of the following order of magnitude:

Ingredient: Parts by weight W r 42 to 72 Pigment 25 to 40 Filler to 20 Metal sa 0.1 to 5 For the preparation of a pigmented blending component in the form of a white paste, any suitable white inorganic pigment which is insoluble in the alkali metal silicate component may be used, such as, for example, titanium dioxide or other titanium pigments having the requisite properties, zinc oxide, and the like. It has been found, however, that titanium dioxide is generally the most satisfactory white pigment for the purpose of this invention. Where a colored pigmented blending component is to be prepared, any suitable colored inorganic pigment which is ,insolub e alkali metal silicate compo'rTe'fit'TnayR used. Examples of sum e co ored pigmenE include metallic oxides, such as the red, yellow, or black iron oxides, chromium oxides, carbon black, an many others.

As reinforcing w there may be used any suitable mem er of the commonly used pigments of this type, such as, for example, mica, asbestine, asbestos, talcw and similar materials. These fillers are pre era y used in very finely divided form, depending upon the particular application. Thus, for example, it has been found advantageous to employ 1000 mesh mica in many instances, in formulating the aqueous paste component. I

Thad! Sal n naqtalsustta lesi fu nih tlge rgactive ngredient in the pigmented blending component. These salts react with th allgalmetal s ilicafe ftl sssa flfte. quietessnidfisnt ei zm insolubl siliFtt' compounds of variable composition thereby yielding insoluble hard films of the finish or overcoat of the present invention. While any metal capable of thus entering into reaction with the silicate component may be utilized, the metal salts which have been found especially suitable are those of metals of groups lIa, IIb, III, IVb, VIIb, and VIII of the periodic system. Such metals include, for example, aluminum, barium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, lead, and zinc. There can be used the nitrates, chlorides, sulfates, carbonates, and acetaitii imh'ese 9%. hiiinpls'erspeemefif'salis which may be used in formulations include lead acetatg, aluminum ni- .a saa u ri e, bar um .lil isle. um. c 0- ride, calcium gitrate, magnesium acetate, magnesium. chlorideTfiaa'g'iiesium nitrate, manganesechloride, zinc acetate,

and'zinc chloride. Basic lead carbonate or pure lead carbfit'lhay e proved desk-amen certainapplications where 'a strong white finish is to be applied over-a silicate first coat or over a galvanized undercoat. Moreover, there may also be used salts of amphoteric metals such as, for example, Mixtures of these salts may also be used.

The proportion of reactive liquid silicate component to be blended with the pigmented blending component may be varied considerably, depending upon the conditions under which the coating or finish is to be applied. In general 100 parts of the pigmented blending component will be admixed with from 50 to'90 parts by weight of the alkali metal silicate solution. The unmixed solutions of the two components have unlimited storage life. It has been found, however, that once mixed, they should preferably be used within 12 hours of mixing. The two components are generally supplied in separate packages and are mixed just prior to application to form a smooth, white suspension which becomes hard and insoluble following application. The mixture is easily applied by conventional spray gun or brush means, and no special equipment is required. For repair or retouching purposes, the finish or overcoat of this invention may be reapplied over itself or over either new or old silicate typefirst coats.

As previously pointed out in the more specific aspects of the present invention the finish or overcoat of this invention may be cured by application thereto of a suitable curing agent, which may be of the same type as that used for curing the first coats of the silicate type, as referred to previously. Such curing agent may be applied by brushing or spraying within two to four hours after application of the finish or overcoat, and should be allowed to cure for about 24 hours, before the finish coating is placed in service.

The finish coatings of the present invention are preferably applied to properly cured, clean, and dry first coats of the silicate type, alltlgigl aspreviouslysifgrthihey may be applieitoflXaniZedlinEFW- faces. They form hard insoluble coa mgs showing eeom om chalking and breakdown characteristic or organic films. when continuously exposed to water, they exhibit maximum terri' rature limits of resistance of I20 F., in case of n u ersion, and up to $0U"'F.

am no immersion. The components and the finished onmflammable. They are resistant to chemical fumes, sea water, and to most organic solvents including alcohols, ketones, aromatics, petroleum products, and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

As mentioned previously, the mopping of the present invention must be cuggdgbefgre beingplacgd inser ice, by chemic eatment with a s'1iitable' gigging solution.

e curing agent whic as hfciiiiidbest adapted for this purpose is a solution of a s RWQWEeMuUQn in the presence of a silicate w 1c will react with the film to eflect hardening and insofifliliiatiofi The curing solut'i'o'n'iiicludes as a solvent a major portion of a water miscible organic liquid. While a limited amount of water may be present, such amount of water is advantageously limited to an amount sufiicient to cause formation of an acid reaction by hydrolysis of the dissolved salt, but not sufiicient to impair the surface of the finish coating to which the curing solution is applied.

The curin a ent is preferably a solution of an acid reactingml'gy yliaF I l gm a strongminejral acid, such as, for example, rammin salts of pl gsphoric, hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, or cw Among the organic salts, it has been foun pre era e to employ a salt of an organic amine. An or anic amine salt which has been found to be especially well suited for curing purposes is dibutylamine phosphate, produced by the reaction of di-fimityramine with phosphoric acid. The active factor in this compound is phosphoric acid, the acid radical of which will combine with the ingredients of the finish coating to render it hard and insoluble. The acid radical is released by radual h amuse nt Elma. Among I e inorganic sa s e curing solution, there may be mentioned as the vehicle and which by hydrolysis liberate an acid radical or supply an insolubilizing metal ion which will react with the film of the finish of this invention. Here also, the salts chosen must possess the characteristic of releasing their acid radicals gradually upon hydrolysis, in order to avoid adverse effects such as stratification of the finish before the curing is completed.

The vehicle in which the organic or inorganic acid salt amen/mas comprise an organic water miscible compound in combination with a limited amount of water, such as, for example, a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, ether, or ketone. There may be advantageously employed for this purpose, for example, aliphatic alcohols,

such as mgmfiumpmmznd higher alcohols. Isopropyl cohol is preferred as a vehicle for performancra'n'd'bbsfi-easons, but glycols such as ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, and glycerol may be used. Water soluble ethers such as carbitol and dioxane have proved suitable. Water soluble ketones such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone are satisfactory. In general, the amount of water presentwill be in the neighborhood of about percent, but this may be varied somewhat in accordance with the properties of the acid salt and organic solvent employed.

After the finish coating has been applied, and prior to application of the curing solution, exposure to moisture must be avoided. The coatin is allowed min: sip/grams, depending upon the circumambient temperatures. Thus, if the surface temperature is 85 F. or above, drying time may be limited to two hours; at temperatures from 75 to 85 F. four hours are required. At temperatures below 75 F., a correspondingly longer drying period is needed. The curing solution is preferably applied to the finish coat heavily by spraying, care Wag taken to insure wetting of the entrresfiffaTFeT The curing solution must be left on the finish surface for at least 24 hours. Thereafter, an excess remaining may be removed by washing with water.

Preferred curing solutions for application to the finish coatings of the present invention are those disclosed and described in copending application Serial No. 376,260, filed August 24, 1953. They include, for example, a solution of dibutylamine phosphate in 95% isopropyl alcohol, or in 95% methanol; a solution of magnesium chloride or calcium chloride of about 30% strength, in a solvent such as commercial methanol containing about 5% water can be used for curing. In certain instances a wholly aqueous solution of the calcium or magnesium salts of about the strength indicated may be used, but care must be taken to avoid formation of white stains or bloom.

The preparation of the finish compositions of the present invention may be illustrated by the following examples:

Example I A white paste pigmented blending component is prepared by forming a suspension of 40.00 parts by weight of titanium dioxide pigment, and 19.20 parts of 1000 mes mica in 1.64 parts of distilled water in which there has been dispersed 0.36 parts of basic lead car- Example 11 A white pigmented paste component similar to that of Example I is prepared by using 0.4 part of lead acetate in plac gfbasic lead carbonate.

Example III A white pigmented paste component is prepared from a mixture of the following ingredients:

Parts by weight Distilled water 41.83

Titanium dioxide 40.00 Mica 19.20 Zinc chloride 0.168

Example IV A while pigmented paste component is prepared from a mixture of the following ingredients:

Parts by weight 41.664

Distilled water Titanium dioxi Mica Barium chlor Example V A green pigmented paste component is prepared by mixing the following ingredients:

Parts by weight Distilled water 5 3.064

15 Chromic oxide ggeen 22.00

' Mica Barium chlori Example VI A finish or overcoat mixture suitable for application to a silicate type first coat is prepared by blending until a smooth suspension is obtained:

5.7 parts by weight sodium silicate solution, sp. 1.4

7.3 parts by weight 0 e w l e paste component prepared according to either Example I or II.

Example VII The paste components as prepared in accordance with Examples I to V inclusive are admixed with 79.5 arts by weight of a low alkaline sodium silicate solution of sp. gr. 1.4 until a smooth consistem is obtamedffd produce a coating ready for application.

Example VIII A metal pigmented alkali metal silicate type first coating as described in U.S. Patent No. 2,440,969 is applied to a metal structure by conventional methods and then cured by the application thereto of a curing solution having the following composition:

Lbs. Isopropyl alcohol (99%) 428 Di-n-butyl amine 100.8 Phosphoric acid 196.0 Distilled water- 22.4

After the first coating has been properly cured, and then thoroughly cleaned of grease and dried, there is applied a finish composition prepared in accordance with the description given in Examples I and VI. For application there is used a spra n employing a pot pressure of between 10 and pounds, and making even, parallel passes within about one foot of the silicate coating surface. On smooth surfaces, coverage will be about 300 square feet per gallon of mixture. The finish coat is allowed to dry for several hours, depending upon the temperature.

W by sprayin a curing solution having the composition used for curing the first coat, as indicated previousTT The curing solution 1s allowed to remain on the finish coat for 24 hours and at the end of this time, excess curing solution is removed by washing down with water.

The result is a very smooth, intensely white surface of l I l from 25 to 40 compnent insoluble in u 20 parts by wet t of finely divided filler,

to 5.0 f a water soluble 'Eerar-san capable gf r e a e tinogamsaid gd ium silicate to we a hard insoluble coating when appliemaid'silieateomer surface, ufiil a smooth susgsion is obtained.

2. A method as set forth in claim I wherein said 7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said reactive salt is capable of yielding an acid radical.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Bibikov June 10, Gesner Jan. 21, 1890 Sala July 12, 1910 Henning Aug. 13, 1912 Nightingall May 4, 1948 Vannoy Sept. 14, 1948 Nightingall Feb. 22, 1949 Thomas June 17, 1952 Drummond Oct. 2, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 26, 1860 

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING A HARD INSOLUBLE PIGMENTED FINISH ON A FERROUS METAL SURFACE WHICH COMPRISES FIRST APPLYING TO SAID SURFACE A PROTECTIVE COATING OF THE SILICATE FINELY DIVIDED METAL TYPE, ALLOWING SAID COATING TO DRY, AND THEN APPLYING A SUPPLEMENTAL COATING OBTAINED BY ADMIXING FROM 50 TO 90 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF LOW ALKALINE ALKALI METAL SILICATE HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY BETWEEN ABOUT 1.3 AND 1.4 WITH 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF AN AQUEOUS PASTE PIGMENTED COMPONENT INCLUDING FROM 42 TO 72 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF WATER, FROM 25 TO 40 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF AN INORGANIC PIGMENTED COMPONENT INSOLUBLE IN SAID SODIUM SILICATE, FROM 10 TO 20 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF FINELY DIVIDED FILLER, AND FROM 0.1 TO 5.0 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A WATER SOLUBLE METAL SALT CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH SAID SODIUM SILICATE TO YEILD A HARD INSOLUBLE COATING WHEN APPLIED TO SAID SILICATE OUTER SURFACE, UNTIL A SMOOTH SUSPENSION IS OBTAINED. 